A Guide to Business in Birmingham A Guide to Business in Birmingham | Page 11

A guide to business in Birmingham

Economic growth and employment


Birmingham is the second-largest city economy in the UK, with the West Midlands area
contributing over 7 per cent of the UK’s GVA (6).



In 2008, the European Cities Entrepreneurship Ranking report, which covers economic,
infrastructure and quality of life factors, placed Birmingham above London, Berlin,
Madrid, Paris and Rome.



In 2010, Birmingham was ranked as the 52nd-most liveable city in the world and the second
most liveable in the UK, according to the Mercer Index of worldwide standards of living.


In 2012 the city was 7th in Europe in the fDi Intelligence ‘Cities and Regions of the Future’
poll;
it was also the only English city in the top 10 of the Large European Cities category.

Birmingham suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in England; unemployment
rates since the start of the millennium have been around double the national average, currently
sitting at 9.8% (vs 4.2% national average and 5.4% West Midlands) (5). The Government is currently
working on a number of initiatives to reduce the levels of unemployment in the city and a wealth
of new foreign direct investment should stimulate job creation.

Source: birmingham.gov.uk/birmingham-economy Unemployment Briefing - December 2013

Commercial Property – Industrial Units, Office Space to Rent

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